In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell - Parnasse.com

"Right. Well, you seem normal enough."
"I do my best, thank you."
Back at the villa Signora rustled around in a stiff cocktail dress
of midnight blue silk. Her hair was shinier than usual, and her nails
were freshly coated with pearly translucent lacquer but otherwise she
looked about the same, even after a whole morning at the beauty
hospital. The glamour did nothing to hide her mood, however.
"What is the use of hiring a security force if you two slip out
from under their noses? To go to the coiffeur? What has gotten into
you? E tu, figlio?" she said turning from her to him and back to her.
"He should be in bed. He has bruised ribs, a crushed septum,
has had a concussion. Does that not sound like he should be in bed?
And you are pulling him around town like he is a cheap tourist guide?
Have you no concern for my son? He would defend you as he
defended that putana! You know it too. Have you no gratitude for his
noble sentiments? They will be the death of him, those. You have
behaved like children. We will have our supper and you will both go to
bed."
She sat at the table and folded her hands.
"Grace? Sandro?"
"In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.
Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona
Quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi
Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen."
In Latin, mumbled, but as fluent and as graceful as if he had
been born speaking it.
The chubby maid with the lace tiara served everyone spaghetti
in a creamy bacon flecked white sauce.
Signora appraised Penny's make over. "Your hair looks lovely,
very feminine. Madame called me and told me. She agrees with me that
you need earrings. Why aren't your ears pierced? In Italy all girls have
them pierced as babies."
"My parents were not concerned with how I appear to others."
"Well, the haircut, at least, has improved your diction. Madame
certainly is une magicienne."
Penny twirled a forkful of spaghetti in her spoon like in the
movies, but it was harder than it looked, and a stray spaghetto always
managed to lash out from the group, flinging sauce around, and then
she had to slurp it up American style, anyway.
His face hidden by his heavy curtain of hair Alessandro was too
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